Henry Miller The Last Days A Memoir [Paperback]

It could be argued that it was mere chance that drew Barbara Kraft, a young aspiring writer, into friendship with each party of one of literatures most famous love affairs: Ana?s Nin, and then Henry Miller; yet, upon reflection, it seems it was meant to be. In 1974 Kraft signed up for a writing course with Nin only months before the discovery of the cancer that would end the famous diarists life two years later, and Kraft would prove to be a faithful and dependable friend and companion until the end. During this time, Kraft kept a diary detailing the events of her relationship with Nin, which would become the heart of her acclaimed memoir Ana?s Nin: The Last Days. Only months after Nins death, Kraft attended a Q & A talk by Henry Miller and, inspired by his dynamism, did a crash rereading of much of his work. This rediscovery led to Kraft writing and reading An Open Letter to Henry Miller on an NPR station, which Miller eventually heard and admired. Wanting to meet Kraft, Miller invited her to cook dinner for him, and, of course, to engage in a long and interesting talk with him, a habit Miller developed during his destitute days in 1930s Paris when he made sure he was invited for lunch and dinner in exchange for good conversation each day of the week. While no longer destitute, and in failing health, the ritual of dinner and conversation kept on until the very end. Kraft became one of Millers sixteen regular cooks, and she developed not only a comradery with him, but a mutually nurturing friendship for the last two years of his life. This memoir is an inside look at the chaos that ruled the famous house on Ocampo Drive in Pacific Palisades, the long stream of people who lived or crashed there, the revolving door of seekers, celebrities, scholars and filmmakers, and how Miller maintained a fulfilling and creative life in the midst of all the commotion. We see the dynamics of Millers relationships with his family, his young love interest and those whol­